Tutor A Modern Phanfic
by Little Jammes
Summary: A young girl, Katie, get's her own Angel of Music, But is he the Erik she thinks he is?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Katie sat in one of the empty pews, with her feet resting on the one in front of her. She had her CD player on as loud as the volume control would let it, surrounding herself in to the world of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom Of The Opera, as she waited for her new voice instructor. She was told he was the best of the best, he could train even the coarsest voice to flow like an angels. Katie was recommended to be taught by him because of her talent. She had been taking voice lessons since she was a small child. Her voice is soft and soothing, but needed work if she would ever be able to preform professionally.

She checked her watch and sighed, he was already forty five minutes late. She decided to go over the songs she had to learn for her Music class in school, so she pulled her chorus folder out of her book bag, and went over the songs. They were far below her skill, and quickly bored her. Just as she gave up her school work, the batteries in her CD player died, leaving her completely alone in the silent church. She looked around the large spacey room, her eyes falling upon the giant Gothic Pipe organ. She had learned how to play her favorite songs on one, and was itching to give them a shot. She debated with herself if she should attempt, fearful she would be caught by her new teacher, but she gave into her desire. She sat down on the bench in front of the organ. She had never played on a real one, only a small electric version she kept in her room. She began to play her favorite haunting song.

_In sleep he sang to me_

_In dreams he came_

_That voice which calls to me_

_And speaks my name_

Her voice carried through the building, not allowing one nook or cranny silent. She sang the soprano part well, but remained silent when the male lead was supposed to sing. Any other Phan would just sing off key, but not Katie. She wouldn't degrade her voice just for a part. It may have just been her imagination, or listening to the song one to many times, but she thought she heard a male voice, softly singing along. She had never heard a voice as sweet before, it reminded her of an angel. She finished the song, then sat in silence, trying to figure out what to play next.

"Brava, Brava, Bravissima." The words surrounded her, and filled her body. She looked around to find the source, but she saw no one.

"It has been a long time since someone has sang that song in my presence. You sang very well, very well indeed." With each word the voice captured her, making her feel each syllable. The sound caressed her, brightening her mood, and touching her soul. She backed away from the organ, still looking for the source. She tried to comment, but she couldn't form words. The voice sensed her confusion.

"Go home Child, your lesson is through." She hesitated, than practically ran to the door. She turned to look back for a moment, then left. She was almost home when she realized she had left her book bag and chorus folder back at the church. She didn't want to return, but knew she needed her stuff for school the next morning. It didn't take long for her to retrieve the objects, luckily the voice didn't speak to her again. When she returned home, she locked herself in her room, despite her mothers plea for her to accompany her on a shopping trip.

"You were just dreaming Little Lotte," She told herself, "Your letting your imagination get away with you." She looked into her full length mirror. For a split second, she thought she saw a pair of golden eyes staring back at her. "Your going insane" She rolled her eyes, then picked up her phone. She need one of her friends to slap her back to reality. She dialed her most understanding friend.

"Hello?" A girl's voice answered

"Hey, Little Jammes, It's Lotte."

"What's up?"

"Erik is stalking me." Her friend laughed.

"Is that a problem?" Katie told her friend what had happen at the church. When she was finished, Jammes remained silent, then put her two cents in. "Well, Lotte, you really need to learn to stop day dreaming. You always let your imagination run away with you, like that time in math when you dreamed Erik was punjabing you, and you actually thought you were Christine." Katie nodded, and began to rummage through her bag, remembering she hadn't finished her math homework.

"Ya, but I knew those were dreams, I actual heard him." She accidentally knocked her chorus folder off her bed, the contents spilled out on her floor.

"Oh, shit." She swore under her breath, as she began to collect the papers up

"what?" Her friend asked. On top of her chorus music, four pieces of music, meant for an experienced soprano, were laying.

"What the hell?" Among the new works, was a single note written in red.

I expect you to learn these songs,

before you come for your next lesson.

They shouldn't be hard, not for your voice.

Return again the day after tomorrow,

Five O' clock.

"What's wrong Lotte?" Her friends voice called with concern.

"It's him... It's Erik." She stumbled out, staring at the note.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Katie's friend was laying on her stomach on Katie's bed, rereading the note for the hundredth time. She came right over after hearing her friends fright. Kat was laying next to her, perplexed at the situation.

"Mandi, that is Erik." Katie took the note from her hands, and pointed to it. "His voice, if only you heard it." Mandi looked at her friend with concern.

"It's just, Erik is dead, Hun. He has been for a hundred and twenty five years."

"Reincarnation." Katie commented. Mandi rolled to her side to face her.

"We have discussed that already, Lotte, among all the other possible ways we could get with Erik, but his new life would have to be less than twenty five, and how would he know about Erik?"

"He didn't necessarily say he was Erik, He is just my new voice instructor I guess."

"But you said he knew Music Of The Night."

"But Andrew Lloyd Webber invented the song, that just shows he knew about the musical."

"I know that, but come on Lotte, I'm just as in love with Erik as you are, no matter how much we pray, he won't come back for us."

"Then how do you explain this?" She waved the paper in front of her friends face.

"How many people know about our obsession? It's probably just a cruel joke."

"People aren't that mean." Mandi slapped Katie in the back of the head. "Ouch... that hurt." She rubbed her hand over her wound.

"People aren't that mean? Are you fucking kidding me? People are cruel, heartless beasts who's only purpose is to torture the lives of the individual."

"Way to look on the bright side Jammes, and by the way, that statement just screamed Erik."

"Well it's true. Erik had the right philosophy on them."

"Sometimes I think your the modern day Erik." Mandi just laughed.

"Oh ya, except for the fact I don't have a deformed face, I'm musically challenged, oh, and I'm not a man." Katie rolled her eyes.

"No, but you are an artist, you hate people, you hide in your little bat cave, oh, and your smart like him."

"Oh, yes, I dig basements, that obviously means I'm the new Opera Ghost! Can we stop talking about me, please? You know that's my favorite topic." She said sarcastically.

"Another Erik trait." Mandi threw one of Katie's pillows at her, she retaliated with a stuffed animal.

"Fine. What do you think I should do about this, Erik problem."

"There are no problems with Erik, just name the place, and time."

"Seriously Jammes, should I go back on Thursday?"

"Well, if it's a prank, probably not, but, if it truly is Erik, he would still be there, right? Lets go back."

"Now? It is almost ten. Won't your mom be pissed if you don't go home soon?"

"Personally, I don't care. Erik is worth the hell I will go through when I get home. Come one, what's the worst thing that could happen?"

"We could run into Meg's Priest. How are we going to explain randomly breaking into a church? We are not even Catholic!"

"So? If we run into the priest, well, it's not like the first time we have met him, we will just say we have a mad hot crush and need him." She joked, but Katie didn't find their friend's crush on a priest funny.

"But..." Katie was trying to get out of going, but Mandi wouldn't let her.

"We could pick up the other's on the way, if you want, that way we can maybe have an excuse." Katie shook her head.

"No, lets leave them out of this, they don't feel the same way about Erik as we do, plus, Carlotta could scare him off." The girls chuckled, grabbed their coats, and went out to Mandi's car.

When they entered the church, a cold chill shot down their spines, as their footsteps echoed through the room, surrounding them.

"What should we do?" Katie grabbed a hold of Mandi's arm, as they approached the giant organ.

"Sing, Little Lotte." Mandi suggested, as she pushed her forwards, into the moon light, that cascaded from the large, stained glass window.

"What?"

"Something sweet, like Think Of Me."

"Will you sing with me? If we get caught, I don't want to be alone." Her friend laughed, and shook her head.

"We will get caught if I sing, my voice will shatter the stained glass windows, not to mention make our Erik cringe." Katie rolled her eyes, and pulled her friend into the light.

"What about Point Of No Return? I have heard you sing that, it wasn't too bad, much better than Mandy Number two's."

"In a church? And not to mention, your comparing me to Carlotta!" Mandi joked

"Just sing!" Mandi hesitated, than gave into her Lotte's desire. Mandi could never disappoint her closest friend, Lotte was too precious to her to let down. Her friends are the only thing that matters in this cruel world, without them, well, that's like Erik without his music, It just couldn't happen, she couldn't live without there their support. None of them know about her need for them, except Katie.

You have come here

In pursuit of your deepest urge

In pursuit of that wish

Which till now has been silent...silent

I have brought you, that our passions

May fuse and merge

She started off in little more than a whisper, but Katie forced her to get lauder, till her voice rang through the hall, and echoed back to them.

In your mind

You've already succumb to me

Dropped all defences, completely succumbed to me

Now you are here with me

No second thoughts you've decided... Decided

She approached Katie, playing the part of Don Juan, following each move in the choreography that the two of them have memorized in their obsessive phandom.

Past the point of no return

No backward glances

The games we've played till now are at an end

Past all thought of "if" or "when"

No use resisting, abandon thought and let the dream descend

What raging fire shall flood the soul

She gathered Katie in her arms, never before had she acted the part so intensely. She could feel the passion of the song flow through her body, and here the music play in her head, scattering all her thoughts. Katie was just as consumed with the song. She no longer saw the church around her, or Mandi, but her Erik, singing to her, toughing her, calling for her heart.

What rich desire unlocks its door?

What sweet seduction lies before us

Past the point of no return

The final threshold,

What warm unspoken secrets will we learn

Beyond the point of no return...

Katie began to sing the part of Aminta. Compared to the hoarse, untrained voice of her friend, Katie's voice sounded like it belonged to an angel, but was nothing compared to her tutor.

You have brought me

To the moment

Where words run dry

To the moment where speech disappears

Into silence... silence

I have come here,

Hardly knowing the reason why

In my mind I've already imagined

Our bodies entwining, defenseless and silent

And now I am here with you

No second thoughts

I've decided...decided

Katie moved away from Mandi, and stood open armed below the main window, bathing in the light, completely intoxicated with the words.

Past all thought of right or wrong

One final question

How long should we too wait

Before we're one?

When will the blood begin to race

The sleeping bud burst into bloom?

When will the flames at last consume us?

Just as Mandi when to sing her part, the voice began and kept her quite. When Katie heard the angel's voice, she looked up toward the light from the window. The colours blinded her, and took her away from the empty church, to a world she knew all to well, the one she spent ever night dreaming of, Erik's home.

His nimble fingers danced in her hair, as she laid soft kisses on his forehead.

"Erik." She spoke softly, before she met his lips.

"Shh... My Love no need for words." She sighed with the pleasure his voice always brought to her. She pressed her body close to his. He moved his hand down her cheek, barely toughing her, but sending shocks of ecstasy down her bare body.

"Oh... Erik." She pulled herself on top of him, and kissed the place were on any other man a nose would have laid. She felt her body shake, but it was not from the man beneath her. He began to fade from her mind, and was replaced with the face of her friend

"Lotte?" Mandi shook her shoulders. "Lotte?" Despite her hearts wish, she returned to reality

"Jammes." Mandi sighed, and embraced her, thankful she was alright.

"You just collapsed, Lotte." She held her tighter. "I was so frightened, the voice, I heard it, It stopped right as you fell." Lotte returned her hug, and stroked her hair to calm her down.

"I'm fine Jammes, just my imagination getting the best of me." Mandi's face turned pale.

"It wasn't the Punjab one again was it?" Katie shook her head, as mandi sighed with relief.

"No, it was rather nice actually." a smile crept across her face, as she recalled the feeling of his tough.

"I was so worried about you, and your dreaming of inappropriate things with Erik? You and your dirty fantasy" She scowled, but Katie just laughed

"Sorry I can't help what I think, and aren't you the queen of dirty Fanfics? Little Jammes?"

"I've only written two!" She protested. "I'm just glad your alright" She helped Katie up of the floor.

"Ya." She looked around the church, for the hidden voice. "He's here."

"Inside my mind." Katie shot her friend a serious glance.

"You said you heard him, right?" Mandi nodded the joined in on the search. They remained for the longest time, but they heard nothing.

"We should be leaving Lotte." Mandi Tugged on her arm. She nodded, and they went to leave the church. Katie stopped at the door, and turned back for a moment.

"Next time, come back alone." The voice called to her. She nodded, then joined Mandi outside.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Slowly he approached her, his clothes were soaked through, and clung to his thin, gawky figure. She couldn't keep her eyes off of him, she needed him.

"What... what was it?" She began to remove his wet jacket.

"Just a poor fool, he should have known better than to come into my world." His tone chilled her, making her small body shiver. He sensed her uneasy felling.

"I didn't kill him" He reassured her, trying to hid the importance of the man's death, "I tried to save him" She began to work on unbuttoning his vest.

"Who?" His body tensed up, he knew he shouldn't tell her, but he couldn't help himself. He couldn't hurt his precious Christine, but keeping it from her would hurt her more.

"Phillipe." Her finger's froze, as she looked up into his eyes.

"Raoul's brother?" He nodded his head, and dropped his gaze to the floor.

"He will come down soon, to save you." He backed away from her, but she persuade him.

"I don't care Erik." She ran her hands along his cheek, and gentle kissed him. Just as her lips touched his, a bell rang around them. Fright filled his soft eyes, as he clasped his hands over her biceps

"Stay here." His voice began to fade, and another took over.

"Lotte, Lotte" Mandi once again, brought her back to their unwanted world. Katie hid her disappointment from being stoled away from her world of the Phantom to their art class, from Mandi. She smiled, and focused back on her painting. She had been working on an oil painting of the musical version of the phantom, but looking down at what she had painted, a strange face stared back at her. A young man in his mid twenties, with shaggy raven black hair, and piercing golden brown eyes stared back at her.

"Wow, Lotte, that's great! Who is it?" Mandi leaned over to examine her work.

"I don't know."

"Well, the eyes look like Eri-" She cut off, not wanting to throw salt into the wound. It had been two weeks since that night they went to the church. They did their best not to mention it, or him. "He's rather hot." She commented, tilting her head the way she always does when her mind focuses on a guy.

"Well, he's mine."

"Lucky." Mandi went back to her own work, but Katine couldn't help but stare at hers. Something about this unknown man called to her, and frightened her.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Katie dropped her coat and fedora on her floor, and threw her weary body on to her bed. She had just returned home from another exhausting voice lesson. Her new tutor pushed her harder and farther than any other she ever had before. He was able to see the true potential she held, something she herself never knew existed. Despite his harsh lessons, she had never loved the time she spend singing more. When she was with him, he filled her with confidence, stealing away the modest girl she was to every one else. She could sing her loudest, and most passionate, without fear of him shooting down her faint dreams, she even welcomed his criticizing words. It was only when he made a spit at her dear friend's voice, did she ever protest to his word. It was one thing to say something to her, but to say it about her friends, that crossed the line. Her voice carried an anger she couldn't fathom were it's source was when she protested his word, which he normal used to fill her with fire, if the song called for it.

"Katie." His voice called. She sat up, and looked around her bland room, debating weather or not she had heard what she thought she heard. "Katie." His voice called out again, this time coming from the large, full length mirror on her closet door.

"Sir?" She got off the bed, and approached the mirror. She half expected to see him appear in her reflection.

"You forgot your music." His voice flowed over her. She glanced back at were she dropped her stuff down, but her chorus folder was no were in sight.

"Oh, I must go them it then." She turned to leave, but his voice stopped her.

"No need, I brought it to you."

"Were?" She looked around, and noticed it placed on her bed, where she had been sitting just moments before, accompanied be single rose, the usual romantic black ribbon tied around the stem.

"Thank you." She picked up the rose, and twirled around, not exactly sure were to speak to.

"You have doing so well, you deserve some time to rest, and be with your...friends. We will postpone your lessons till next week." Katie dropped her eyes to the floor, not sure if she should mention her feelings to him, but he knew she had something on her mind.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Oh, no, it's just..." She took a step forward, "I really enjoy the lessons, I will miss singing for you."

"You grow to dependent." His voice lost it's usual tenderness, and seemed more like a wounded child. "You need to spend time with them , they miss you, especially that Jammes."

"I have been kind of neglecting them lately." It hadn't crossed her mind how he would know how Mandi felt, after all, he had truly never met her, but her knew everything about Katie's life.

"Go out with them, and enjoy yourself, but please take care of your vocal cords, no excessive screaming, please. I don't want you coming back unable to continue."

"Of course, what kind of student would I be if I didn't listen to my tutor?" He gave a short, snickering laugh.

"You really are the perfect student, Katie"

"As you are the perfect teacher, tut-" She stopped, as a thought crossed her mind. "If it isn't to bold to ask, what is your name? I have only called you Sir, which is extremely formal, I believe we are past being formal, maybe friends?" He didn't speak at first, but them answered her is a soft, chilling voice.

"My name is Tarak."

Katie and Mandi sat among three of their friends, Steph, Meg, and Mandy, watching the Charles Dance version of there beloved obsession. Steph and Meg sat off in a corner, fighting over something about Meg's recent fascination with a certain religious figure, while Mandy working on some sort of Design for an outfit she was planning to create, leaving Katie and Mandi to talk.

"So, why aren't you at your voice lesson?"

"Tarak thought it would be better to spend time with the group." Mandi raised her eyebrow to the name.

"Tarak?" Katie leaned in closer, so that the other's wouldn't happen to over hear.

"that's his name."

"So, you know your angel of music's name, have you seen his face?"

"No, not yet." She blushed, thinking of the picture she had imagined him to resemble, which looked more like a Greek sex god than a music scholar.

"Do they know about him?" She motioned over to the others.

"I haven't told them."

"Why Lotte?"

"They wouldn't understand, not like you."

"But why me Lotte? You have been friends with them a lot longer than you have with me." She dropped her eyes on Mandy, how was happily humming to herself. She was the one to introduce Mandi and Katie, she had been Katie's best friend.

"Your the one most like me." She said plainly, "Can I tell you something?" Her tone lost it's usual playfulness, turning serious and conflicted.

"Of course Lotte, that's what I'm here for." Katie wrapped her arms around her legs uncomfortably, then confided in her friend.

"Jammes, they are getting worse, the dreams." Mandi placed her hand over her shoulder for comfort.

"How?" Katie bit her lip, and focused her eyes on nothing in particular, recalling the most recent even.

"I can feel them, not just see. This morning when I woke up, I could feel his strong arms still holding me close to him, the taste of his sugary lips still lingered on mind, I could even still smell him." She hadn't realized it, but her body was shaking. Mandi moved closer, and wrapped her arms around Katie, trying to stop her body.

"Lotte, I know you have always had a strong imagination, but this isn't right. You shouldn't be experiencing them like you are. Just yesterday, you woke up gasping for air in Art, I didn't want to say anything, because it scared me." Her eyes began to water, "Your throat was red, like it was rubbed raw." Katie grabbed her neck, recalling the vivid dream that kept recurring, each time intensifying.

Erik didn't know what he was doing, his eyes were blood shot, and filled with hatred. She could smell the brandy on his lips, and saw the scares and raised veins on his right arm. He didn't recolonize her. I f he had, he wouldn't be holding her like this, he would never hurt her. He dedicated himself completely to her, and when she left, he lost himself, she took his heart with her. He had the dread Punjab wrapped around her slender neck, she didn't struggle, but wept for how he had fallen. Her angel, her love, a poor tortured man, driven mad with his need to die.

"Angel, I 'm sorry." She choked out. He loosened the catgut, and spun her around, looking into her gentle face.

"Christine?" He sounded like a frightened child, as he finished removing the Punjab. Relief rushed through his body, as she embraced him. She wanted him, like he wanted her. He clung to her hair, never wanting to let her go, fearful she might leave again, as well as making sure she was real, not just a cruel joke his mind was playing. "Oh, Christine." He collapsed to the floor, dragging her down with him. He wept into her soft body, releasing all the emotion he kept bottled inside his entire life. She never had seen him shed a single her before, not even as he let her go. She held him to her chest, and kissed the top of his hair tenderly.

"I'm here, Erik, And I won't leave you again."

"They have gotten worst, ever since you started your lessons." Katie looked up, and shook her head in disbelief.

"This has nothing to do with Tarek-"

"Lotte, are you blind? You get your own 'Angel Of Music' who refused to let you see him, and now you are having dreams, well, they aren't really dreams, they sound more like your reliving parts of Christine's life. You can't say that is a coincidence."

"I'm not saying that, but how can they be connected?"

"Wasn't it you who considered reincarnation?"

"That really can't happen. Honestly, you read too much fan fiction, this isn't like Phantasy."

"Just because she explored that possibility, doesn't mean this can't happen. And it's different than the book, I think this Tarek might be Erik."

"Hypothetically, if he is Erik, why in hell would he choose me to be is Christine?" She buried her head into her palms.

"Your just like Christine, Lotte. I mean, you love him, you really and truly love Erik. You innocent, just like she was. Your like a blank canvas, waiting to be used for his artwork."

"All I need is a Raoul now." She commented sarcastically.

"What's wrong with Lotte?" Steph directed her attention toward Them, noticing Katie's unusual position.

"Oh, nothing. She's just not feeling well, lack of sleep."

"Something you know a lot about." Steph commented, directed at Mandi's feeling towards how necessary sleep really is.

"But I have perfected the art of depriving myself, Lotte has not." Steph rolled her eyes, and Mandi slapped her upside the head.

"Don't hurt My Mommy!" Meg protested, returning with a gentle, but forceful shove. Mandy joined in on there little fake fight, but she quickly left, after realizing how hard of a hit Meg and Mandi really had, even when just fooling around.

"Little Meg, Little Jammes, La Carlotta, Madame Giry, do I have to sic Erik and his Punjab on you?" Katie scowled at the immaturity of her friends.

"I've already been Punjabed." Steph responded. The girls burst into a fit of laughter. Among their multiple Phantom theories, one particularly stood out in their minds, something that most Phans hadn't even considered, they believed that Meg was the child of Erik and Madame Giry, which made their Phantom names all the more fun, and created long heated discussions on who got to bed Erik. They used the word Punjabed as one of their many euphemism for certain subjects that they would rather not have other's listening in on, which Made Steph's comment well witted, and hilarious to the group.

"My friends." Katie shook her head and sighed, but joined in on their simple fun.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Erik, Erik." Katie called out in her sleep, trying to push the haunting image from her mind.

Her frail body collapsed on the ground, as she dug her manicured nails into the soft, freshly turned earth. She couldn't except it, he wouldn't do such a thing to her, he knew how much she needed him.

"Erik." Her tears moistened the ground beneath her, where her angel lays.

"Erik." She rolled around on her makeshift bed on the floor, grasping at her blanket.

"Go to bed Lotte." Mandi asked hazily, "It's 3am." She tossed her stuffed bear at Katie, then returned to her slumber. Katie sat up and yawned. She looked around at her three friends, all peacefully passes out on the floor of her room. It took her by surprise that even Mandi was asleep, she was known to go days on end without it. She rubbed her temples and silently cursed her mind for it's malcontent.

"Can't I go one night without dreaming of him?" She spoke to herself, then accompanied her words with a sigh.

"Katie." She heard Tarek's voice sing in her ear.

"Tarek?" She stood up, and looked around for her tutor.

"Katie." This time his voice called from her door. Reluctantly she followed it, carefully stepping over Meg and Steph's sleeping forms. She was met by a tall, dark figure, beaconing her forward. His took her hand in his, and lead her away from the safety of her home, into the dark streets. Without realizing it, she began to sing to her dark capturer.

_la nuit dan sommeil_

_se glisse un homme _

_sa voix eclate en moi- sa voix me somme _

_serait un reve encore - mais cette fois _

_je sais que le fantom de l'opera - est la en moi _

The figure looked back at her, their bright golden eyes flickering in the moon light. She stopped for a moment, reason starting to fill her innocent mind. She wondered who he was, or were he was taking her. He knew she was regaining her control, and quickly snatched her back into his controlling grasp with his voice.

_le sois la scene est mis- nost chants se melent _

_ma main me mots ma voix- je t'ensorcelle _

_et si ton doux regard - se pard par fois_

_tu sais que le fantom de l'opera - est la - en toi _

Katie stumbled on some sort of pebble, slightly injuring her bare foot. She began to fall forward, but he caught her, then picked her up, and carried her. If she hadn't already succumbed to his every will, she did now, being in his arms. He was remarkably strong, but his limbs were thinner than she expected them to be, with such hidden strength. He held her close to his chest, so that she could feel his heart beat. It seems to play along with his voice, to the rhythm of the song, but she knew that was just her imagination.

_ceux qui vous voientent en face - sont pris d'effroi _

_je suis un masque pour vous _

_je suis ton voix_

His voice surrounded her, as he placed her down upon a silk bed.

"Katie, I have taught you for months, and watched you even longer." He leaned over her, so that his face was only inches from her own. She stared back at his. She recognized his face, but couldn't place where she had seen his piercing gold eyed, shaggy raven hair, and handsome young face, then, it hit her. She had painted him, that day during her art class. She reached to touch his cheek, to make sure he was real, and that she wasn't dreaming.

"Every day I saw you, I wanted you. I wanted you to know me, to like me. I wanted to feel your flesh against mine, your body trembling beneath me, but I couldn't let you see me, your to perfect for a bastard like me, too young and innocent. That's why I wanted you to go with your friends, I was afraid of what I might do if I kept seeing you, but not seeing you, that as pure torture, it tore my heart. I need you, Katie." His mouth met her's with a fierce passion she had never experienced before in her simple sixteen years. His tonge skimmed her teeth, before she let it dance in her mouth. His hands traveled up and down her petite figure, stopping for a moment to cling to her breasts. Shocks of heated pleasure shot through her body, clouding all thoughts in her head to stop. He removed her over sized black tee-shirt, letting his lips make contact with ever inch of tender skin he exposed, making her moan with pleasure. He lifted her body up slightly, so that he could remove her remaining pajama pants, till she laid naked before him, her curly brown billowed around her sweet face, making her appear to be an angel. It was her turn now, she followed through the same act as he just had, but stopped to inhale his intoxication aroma. She knew that smell all to well, it was her favorite men's cologne, Burberry Brit, no doubt he only wore it for her. Her lips traveled over his broad chest, and halfway down his abdomen, before he guided her back down against the bed again.

"We've past the point of no return." He spoke as he trusted himself into her. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, as she screamed out in both pleasure and pain, It was her first time, and had no idea how intoxicating it would feel. Instinctively she wrapped her legs around his waist, to meet his thrusts. He started off slow, as not to cause excessive pain, and letting her get used to the feeling, then quicken his pace. She dug her nails into his back, as they moaned our each other's names.

"Tarek, Tarek... Oh Erik!" she screamed as he gave his final release, and collapsed beside her. He wrapped his arms around her body, as they both escaped into their own dreams.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Katie woke up from her first dreamless sleep in mouths, to the sound of raised voices. The one voice belonging to a woman, and the other a man. The woman was calling frantically for something, while the man just laughed. Her curiosity got the better of her, as quickly dressed, and when to search for the sources of the voices.

"Where the fuck is she Tarek? I know you have her!" Katie recognized the voice to belong to none other than her dear friend Mandi.

"Why Ms. I don't believe you should speak like that in a house of God." He taunted her.

"God damn you! Damn you straight to the fiery depths of Hell! Where is Lotte? I heard you call to her last night. Oh God, what have you done with her?" Katie made her way up a winding flight of stairs, still following the sounds of their voices.

"Your precious Lotte is unharmed-"

"Sort of." She smiled to herself, remembering the blissful pain of the night before.

"But, if I may ask Ms., if you were so worried for her safety, why didn't you come sooner?" Katie found her path blocked by a large door, when she opened it, she found she was standing in the Church she visited daily for her lessons. Mandi was standing before the alter, screaming up at nothing.

"I couldn't just leave all of her friends to worry where we went! I had to say behind to give her an alibi!" She spat at him.

Her fierce nature caught Katie by surprise, and almost knocked her over in shook. This brave furious wolf that stood before her, growling at it's foe was not the shy, timid friend she had known. Mandi wouldn't under any circumstances Katie had seen her face before, voice her opinion so strongly, and refuse to back down. She seemed to bleed Bravery and courage, not the usual spineless, modesty she had come to expect from her. Love swelled up in Katie's heart for her dear friend, as she realized how large of a sacrifice this bravery was from Mandi, the girl who refused to talk to any one who wasn't her friend out of pure fright of people, was standing there ready to fight on her behalf.

"Jammes!" She called out, as she rushed towards her. The two girls met with a tight embrace, as Mandi sighed in relief at seeing no harm came to her closest friend.

"Lotte, your alright."

"Take her." Tarek's voice cut through there heartwarming reunite. Without hesitation, Mandi dragged Katie out of the church, and into her car. After the church was out of eyesight, Mandi addressed the subject on their minds.

"What happened Little Lotte?" She took notice of how haphazardly she was dressed.

"I don't know, he called to me, and I just followed him. I knew I shouldn't have, but my body wouldn't listen, no matter how much my mind screamed to stop. He sang, and I couldn't resist him." She dropped her eyes to the floor of the vehicle, recalling the events of the night before. "I'm worse than Christine." She spoke under her breath, but Mandi caught every word.

"And why do you say that?" She looked up at her friend, not wanting to disappoint her, but needing to get it off her chest.

"She was taken from her dressing room by the sound of Erik's voice, Like I was with Tarek. But she wasn't as stupid as I am, she wasn't as intoxicated by his touch, she didn't succumb to him like I did."

"You slept with him?" She choked out in shock. She parked the car, and gave her friend her complete attention.

"Yeah... I don't know how it happened, but it did."

"Was is good?" Katie chuckled and Mandi's curiosity.

"It was great, he's-"

"Better than chocolate?" Mandi finished her sentence. Both girls laughed, reluctant to have a little comic relief.

"He was... Wow... I never expected... I mean, I always thought I would wait till marriage... Or for My Ang-"

"Your Angel Of Music? Hun, Tarek is your Angel Of Music. All thou I doubt he's that angelic, taking you so easily, and at a young age. Sounds more like Mephistopheles."

"Young? How am I young? I'm only a year younger than you." She retaliated.

"I'm young too! Too young to lose my virtue to someone I had never seen before! No, I'm waiting of the one true love." She spoke happily.

"Your Erik?" Mandi smiled and opened her car door.

"Get out." She asked, as she exited the car.

"Were are we?" Katie asked as she listened to her instructions. She found herself standing in front of the local grocery store.

"I needed to come up with an alibi for you." She explained, as they entered the store.

"What? I needed to buy a pack of condoms before I slept with my tutor?" Just as she asked, an old women walked by, giving the girls a distasteful look.

"No, you went to get more sugary goodness before we started the second round of our Phantom Movie fest." They made their way to the right section of the store, and pilled as much chocolate covered, sugar filled candies as the could find in their cart.

"Good thinking." Katie commented. After stocking with everything from candy bars, gummy bears, suckers, to even a box of Russian tea for shits and giggles, they checked out, and returned to Katie's house. Before they entered, Katie stopped Mandi at the door.

"Not a word to the others?"

"Don't worry, I won't tell them." Satisfied with her friend's word, they entered, returning to their friends' uncomplicated lives.


	7. Chapter 7

It was brought to my attention the story is rather confusing, I had meant to explain who the characters are, but I forgot, sorry. Ok, everyone has two names, sort of confusing I know, but bare with me. Each Girl has there own "real" Name, and an adopted Phantom Nickname. For narration purposes, I use there real names, so that the time of the story isn't confusing, but they call each other by their nicknames. Little Lotte is Katie, Little Jammes is Mandi, Little Meg is Meg, Madame Giry is Steph, and La Carlotta is Mandy. There are TWO characters named Mandy(i) It's not just a misspelling.

I hope that helped clear the story up, it there are any more questions, just ask.

Little Jammes

Chapter 7

After driving Meg, Mandy, and Steph home, Mandi found herself driving to the church.

"God, what am I doing?" She asked herself, before entering the large empty church. A young priest scurried past her, heading to his office. She recognized him immediately as the father her Meg had an infatuation with.

"Father Sean." Mandi called, as she hurried after him. She followed him into his tiny office, "Father Sean." He finally turned to meet her.

"I'm sorry, Ms. What is it that you want? I'm terribly busy."

"Who is Tarek?" She asked timidly, the priest's face turned pale at the mention of his name.

"How do you know him?" He squeaked out, is voice sounding like a young chorus boy.

"So you do know him, who is he? Why does he hide?" Her voice got louder, more confident with each word. Father Sean sighed, went to the door of his office, locked it, and returned back to Mandi.

"Tarek came here nine years ago, long before I was ordained, but the other priests told me about him." he looked around nervously, then continued his tale.

"The poor boy was born on the streets, just his mother and him. When he was only five, she died, although no one knew how, or why. He wandered around all alone, finding shelter in playgrounds, and under bridges, till a man decided to take him in. What Tarek thought was just human compassion turned out to be just a way to get cheep labour. The man forced him to work in the back of his auto garage, cleaning up the grease, and sorting parts. If he didn't accomplish enough in a day, the poor boy was beat, or if the man came home drunk..." Father Sean sighed, and shook his head.

"When he was thirteen, he finally mustered up the courage to run away. One of the older priests found him asleep in out of the pews, when he went to wake the boy, he jumped back, and ran. He was frightened of everyone, and did his best to stay away, but he had to come back, he had no were else to go. It took months before he would stay hidden in the corner, if some one stopped in. One day, he was there the same time this girl, about the same age as you, came in. He sat back and watched her. She was terribly upset over something, I think it had to do with her boyfriend, but through her tears she started to sing. Tarek was completely mesmerized by it, he walked up to her, and sat and talked! he comforted her. The two of them kept meeting back here, to talk, and sing. None of us knew it, but he had an astonishing voice, that he would only show to her, he had pure, natural talent. They seemed so happy, she even got him to come to mass, but that all changed." He hung his head at the terrible memory.

"How?"

"The poor girl was killed, her boyfriend crashed her car into a tree. She was killed instantly, but he survived. When Tarek heard about her death, he went mad. He killed her boyfriend, Talked him into committing suicide." A cold shiver shot down her spine.

"Talked?" Father Sean nodded his head.

"He has a persuasive voice." He said plainly. "The other priests took him in, hiding him from the world, letting him live beneath the church, in the cellar. He was just an innocent boy back then, he had no Idea what he did." He stared of into space, "He never asked for forgiveness, he never thought he did anything wrong, he thought it was justice."

"Oh, dear." Mandi buried her face into her hands. Her mind raced over how easily he took Katie, and what he was capable of.

"Why did you ask about him?" The priest asked curiously.

"He's tutoring My closest friend, and yesterday, He took her here, he just called for her, and she came. I'm worried about her. She doesn't know any thing about him, but she trusts him."

"Katie?" The priest asked, she nodded her head in agreement.

"He talks about her, when we bring supplies fro him. He's in love with her, she reminds him of her."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

After her friends left, Katie decided the best way to clear her mind was with a nice, hot, relaxing shower. The feel of the water pounding against her bare back, while the stereo she kept sitting on the sink blasting her favorite Michael Crawford songs, creating the perfect oasis's for her troubled mind. Not once during her shower did Tarek cross her mind, in those few twenty minutes, only images of Erik danced before her eyes. They weren't the powerful soul stealing experiences which recently had been accruing in her mind. She knew exactly were she was, and what she was doing, but he was there, smiling at her, watching her with those tender, caring eyes.

She turned off the water and stepped into the steam filled room. She wrapped a towel around her slim figure, and glanced at herself in the mirror. Something looked different, about her image, but she couldn't out her finger on what. Her normally curly brown hair laid flat against her head, strait as a pin from the water, and her rosy cheeks looked even more flushed with the steam, but that wasn't it. It was the look in her chocolate brown eyes, they twinkled and looked incandescently happy, matching the smile on her pink lips, which hummed along to the music.

"I'm in love." She told herself, as she spun around happily.

"I'm in love"

_If I loved you_

_time and again I would try to say_

_all I want you to know_

_if I loved you_

_words wouldn't come in an easy way_

Michael's voice came from the stereo.

"If only you loved me." She told herself, as she wrapped a robe around herself, and went to her room to get dresses. After she was satisfied with her favorite pair of drawn on jeans, and a rose coloured corset style shirt, she grabbed her favorite black fedora, coat, and cell phone. She left her house to wonder around town. Unknowingly and unwillingly, her feet took her to the church.

"I shouldn't go back." She told herself, but she couldn't resist. When she walked in, a rather percular sight laid before her. Tarek was standing in the middle of the church, actually standing there in his haunting beauty. He looked even taller than the simple six feet she had guessed the night before, in his simple blue jeans and black tee shirt which still took her by shook, even thou she had helped him out of a similar outfit. She had always picture him to were a full suit, and cape. On one of the pews before him, two people sat, the one another tall man, with dark brown hair, and a girl who looked rather short compared to the men, her curly golden brown hair tumbled over the back of the pew. Before any of them noticed her presence, she slipped behind one of the giant pillars that sat before the pews, not wanting Tarek to notice her there.

"Why is it you came here?" Tarek's voice filled the cathedral, "Do you not trust me? Katie does, and as her friend you should trust her judgement."

"I am worried about her." The girl whispered, her voice filled with fright. Katie recognized it immediately to be mandi.

"I was just trying to be a good friend." He laughed at her timid behaviour.

"So you came to ask the father about me? Well me dear, that's not a subject I want being spread around, not even your Lotte knows the lies he has told you." His voice grew louder, filled with anger.

"She was just looking into the best interests of her friend, you cannot blame her for caring." The man chimed in.

"Oh, can't I? Father Sean, I know you have to look for the good in all of 'god's children', but this girl is nothing more than a nosy, jealous teenage brat! Who doesn't wish to share."

"Shut up!" Katie screamed. She caused them all to jump in shock, as she walked out form behind the pillar.

"Do not talk about my friend that way." His eyes flickered with fear for a moment, then filled with fake tenderness.

"Katie, I wasn't trying to be mean to Jammes, but she caught me off guard." His worlds flowed over her, in its usual intoxication manner. "I just wanted to tell you my story first, before she relayed the message." He shot a triumphant grin at Mandi, then returned to wooing Katie back into his grasp.

"Why don't you come back home with me, so I can tell?" He whispered into her ear.

"Alright." Her mind screamed for her to stop but once again his voice took control, and she gladly followed. Tarek turned back for a moment, locking his golden eyes with mandi.

"She's mine" His lips mouthed, but he did not speak, not wanting to alarm Katie.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

After making sure Katie was deep in slumber, Tarek left her, and secretly made his way to her friends home.

"She won't be able to get in the way." He told himself, as he slipped into her bedroom. She laid asleep on her bed, clutching to a small white teddy bear that wore a black mask.

"Erik" she whimpered in her sleep, and rolled over to face away from him. After hiding himself in the shadows of her closet, he began his work.

"Jammes" He threw his voice into her ear "Jammes wake up." She grunted, and rolled over again.

"Lotte is furious at you, for getting in the way. She hate you now, she loves Tarek." Slowly she opened her eyes, and sat up in her bed.

"Lotte hates me?" Fright filled her eyes, ans she clutched her bear tighter to her chest.

"You drag her down, you know you do. She needs friends who will help her achieve her dreams, not stop her." The words surrounded her, and echoed in her mind. Tears began o swell in her eyes.

"But I only want the best for her, I just want her to be happy, she is my best friend." She whimpered.

"Your not good for her, it would be better if you left."

"Left?" She wiped a tear from her eye. "Were could I go? I couldn't skip school."

"She will follow you, she doesn't know how much damage you do to her."

"I don't want to hurt her anymore, I love my Little Lotte."

"Than remove yourself from her life, from life its self. You don't deserve to be friends with such an angel, and she doesn't deserve to be chained down with your failures."

"No, she doesn't." Mandi rose from her bed silently, and seemed to glide out of the room, returning shortly with a large knife in her right hand. She sat down in front of her mirror, staring at the sight that repulsed her. She wasn't horrendously ugly to the public's eye, but in her own, she was worse than her dear Erik. Every feature looked grotesque to her. From her untamed blonde hair,bland eyes, imperfect skin, to her plump figure, everything about herself looked unworthy of peoples glare.

"This was easier than I thought." He told himself, as he walked up behind her, letting his presence be known. She turned, and locked her eyes with his, oblivious that he persuading her.

"Let Lotte have her fairy tale ending, end your tale." She nodded, and raise the knife to her throat.

"Wait, Tarek, please leave, no one should see something as worthless as me leave this world." He nodded his head graciously, and left her alone, confident she was to go through with her unforgivable act. He made his way back to his home, were Katie still slept peacefully, unaware of what her close friend was doing on her behalf.

"This is for you Lotte." Mandi looked at the picture she had of Katie from the day they became friends, at Mandy's birthday party, the first time she was exposed to The Phantom Of The Opera. The knife barely grazed her skin when another voice whispered in her ear. She couldn't place who's voice it was, but it sounded familiar, like from a dream.

"Don't so this Jammes, it will kill Lotte." She stopped driving the blade in, and just held it, slightly dug into her flesh, the blood just starting to trickle down her neck.

"Lotte deserves better than me."

"No, she doesn't." The voice warmed her very core, driving away all the cold degrading thoughts Tarek instilled in her fragile mind. "You are the perfect friend for her, don't let anyone tell you your not." Mandi dropped the knife to the floor, and sobbed into her palms.

"D'arret mon chere, do not cry, your Lotte needs you now."

"But she has Tarek."

"She needs you! Your her dearest friend, she relays on you, and Tarek is not who you think he is." She wiped away her final tears, completely ignoring the blood running from the shallow wound.

"Clean yourself up, and go to her, save her."

"Oh yeah, let me go be the fop of the story." She said sarcastically. The voice laughed in her mind at her statement.

"You are far from a fop."

Mandi nodded her head, went to her bathroom to get the supplies she needed, and tended to her neck. She glanced up at the mirror quickly, ans swore she saw a pair of gold eyes look back at her tenderly, then fade away.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Mon ange, what is wrong?" Erik looked at her pale figure with concern. He took her hands in his, when he did, fear formed in his heart, at her hand's chilling temperature, but he said nothing that would alarm her.

"Would you have really killed him? Would you have killed Raoul if I hadn't agreed?" A cold chill of guilt shot down his spine, a feeling only she could instill.

"No, Christine, I wouldn't have, I couldn't have." He turned away ashamed at his weakness.

"But I have seen you kill..." She separated herself from him, recalling all the murder her husband had committed.

"Mon Ange, you know I would never do anything to cause you pain." He reached for her hands again, this time he kissed each of her palms.

"The boy is dear to you, even if you rejected me, I couldn't take what you care about away from you. It would shatter my heart to see you in pain." Relief washed over her body, as she kissed his forehead. Deep down she knew what he said was always true, but she needed to hear him actually say those words.

"I'm sorry I questioned your love." She looked longingly in his eyes.

"I love you."

"As I love you, Mon Chere, with every fiber of my being."

Katie opened her eyes to find Tarek laying next to her, gently playing with her soft curls.

"Good Morning."

"Good Morning." He kissed her lightly, then got up off the bed, and started to dress. She pulled the blanket up to her chin, and simply watched him. Something about him looked different than the night before. He still had the same mysterious golden eyes, black dangerous shaggy hair, well sculpted chest and abs, his manhood... Katie blushed at the thought. He seemed to have lost the angelic aura he had carried when ever she saw him, He looked just like an ordinary man, not her Angel of Music.

"Tarek?" A man's voice called from above them. He sighed, and looked back at Katie.

"Why must they always interrupt?" He asked rhetorically.

"I'll be right back." He planted a rather long good bye kiss on her lips, then disappeared into the shadows.

For the first time, she took a good look at his home. It was more like a corner of a basement than a home. A thin black curtain separated his world from the basement, a large boiler took up what he didn't. The small 'home' looked thrown together with miss matched furniture placed awkwardly around, to avoid random pipes that snaked around the walls and ceiling. An assortment trinkets and paper stacks littered the floor and furniture haphazardly. Next to the bed a large pile of Phantom based books and movies sat, that would make any Phan feel ashamed of there own collection. Half of them, Kattie had never even heard of, and there seemed to be a copy in at least four different languages of each book.

"Not exactly the lair I had expected." She whispered to herself.

"Lotte." She heard her friend's familiar voice call from the shadows Tarek had disappeared off into.

"Jammes, what are you doing here?" She wrapped the blanket around herself, and sat up to face Mandi, who was cautiously approaching her.

"Come on lotte, we have to get out of here." She reached for her friend, but Katie recoiled.

"Why?" Mandi looked around nervously, expecting Tarek to show up any moment.

"He is not who you think he is Lotte, he is not Erik."

"What are you Talking about?" Katie couldn't make sense of Mandi's behavior.

"He tried to kill me Lotte." She choked out in fright.

"What?" Denial first crossed her mind, but then was quickly dismissed, In all the time she had known Mandi, she had never lied to her.

"I will explain later, I promise. We have to get out of here before Tarek comes back. Father Sean can only distract him for so long." Her voice cracked with urgency. Katie had no hesitations about following her friend, till she remembered her current state of attire.

"Could you turn around?" She asked bashfully, " I need to dress." Her face turned crimson with embarrassment.

"Oh sorry." Mandi turned her back awkwardly, while Katie Quickly put her clothes back on. Once she was presentable, she tapped Mandi on the shoulder, and followed her out of his home. As they were leaving the church, Katie looked back for a moment, catching a glimpse of Tarek facing the alter, and the figure of what must have been Father Sean laying at his feet.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Were are we going?" Katie finally asked Mandi, after they had been driving out of town for almost twenty minutes.

"I don't know." Mandi shook her head,

"Just away from him." She looked down on the dashboard and sighed.

"We're going to run out of gas soon."

"Well, pull over somewhere, we can't just keep driving forever." Katie said, while she looked down the road ahead of them for someplace they could park.

"What about up ahead, at that little Mom and Pop dinner?" Mandi nodded, and pulled into the parking lot.

"By the way Lotte, this isn't just some little dinner, it's the most popular place in this little hick town I call home." They got out of the car, and made their way into the small dinner. They found themselves a small table in the back corner, away from any wondering ears.

"What happened Jammes?" It wasn't till just that moment did she notice the medical gauze on her friend's neck. Mandi gave a final glance around for Tarek, then told her about the night before.

"Tarek came to me last night. He told me I was holding you back, that our friendship was hurting you-"

"That's absurds, your the best thing to ever happen to me, Jammes." She cut in, but Mandi rose her hand to silence her, so that she could finish.

"For some reason, I believed him, something in his voice made me believe him. He told me it would be best if I took my life." Katie's eyes widened with fear, she knew the power of his voice, after all, it took her multiple accations from reality, and made her do things she wouldn't have in her right mind.

"But..." She started, but couldn't find the words.

"I told him to leave, before I did it. I didn't want anyone around, he made me fell completely worthless. I didn't want to burden him..."

"Your not worthless Little Jammes, your not in the least bit. I don't know what I would do without you." Katie paused for a moment, not sure whether to continue or not. "But, you didn't go through with it, how? I know what his voice can do, what snapped you out of it?" Mandi remained silent. She looked beyond Katie, recalling the voice that saved her from committing the unforgivable sin.

"This voice stopped me."

"A voice?" Katie questioned, not understanding what Mandi meant.

"It talked me out of it, like how Tarek talked me into it. He told me to save you."

"Who was it?"

"I don't know, I knew the voice, but I didn't. It was familiar, yet I don't think I have ever heard it before. It sounded perfect, like an angel."

"Like Tarek's?" Katie asked frightfully, hoping they didn't have another one to worry about.

"No, not like his, this was different. It didn't sound like it could have belonged to a man, but..." She stopped, not sure if she should continue.

"But what?" As Katie picked up on her hesitation, a waitress came to take their orders. Once she was gone, they picked their conversation back up.

"But what?" She repeated.

"Well, I thought I saw _his _eyes looking back through my mirror, but that was probably my imagination." Katie's face lost most of it's colour.

"_His_?" She recalled seeing the same set of gold eyes after she had first met Tarek, and when her dreams started.

"Yeah, but it was probably nothing." Mandi dismissed the thought. Just as she did, Katie's cell phone rang. She rummaged through her jacket pocket, then answered it.

"Hello?"

"Calm down Little Meg."

"What?"

"Oh my God. I'm so sorry, how?" All the pigment that was left in her face fled.

"Yeah, she is with me. I'll tell her."

"Do you want us to come over?"

"Are you sure?"

"Alright, We love you Little Meg, Bye."

Katie hung the phone up, a dazed shock expression covered her face.

"What?" Mandi asked impatiently, she had been sitting on pins and needles the entire conversation.

"Father Sean, he's dead." Guilt over took Mandi as tears ran down her face.

"This is all my fault." She sobbed out, as she buried her face in her hands.

"No, it's not." Katie tried to comfort her.

"I asked him to distract Tarek. If I hadn't gotten him involved..."

"We don't know for sure if Tarek did this." Katie tried to rationalize the actions of her 'angel', but she couldn't, there was no excuse fro what he did.

"Of course he did it." She looked into the eye's of her friend, who also began to cry at their situation.

"What are we going to do?" She squeaked out in fright.

"I don't know." They sat there in silence, contemplating their choices.

"We can't go home Lotte. I won't let you. He won't take you again." Mandi vowed.

"But were are we going to go? He will know if we go to your house, we can't go to the others, that would just put them in danger."

"We don't have the money for a hotel room." They watched as their options dwindled to nothing.

"Somewhere he won't find us, somewhere he wouldn't look."

"What? Like a strangers? Who would take us in?"

"Not a stranger, but someone distant, like a relative, or an old friend." They racked there brains for a person, but no avail.

"Look, I don't think anyone around here would just let us hide in their home, while we try to figure how to allude a screwed up modern day Erik." Katie said hopelessly. Just as she did, an idea crossed Mandi's mind.

"A Phan would, and I think I know just were we could go."

"Were?" Mandi went up to the cashier and paid for their meals, then returned to Katie to grab he coat.

"Were Jammes?" She followed her out to the car.

"A Phan, right beneath his nose."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Katie didn't inquire about were Mandi was taking her, until fear flooded her heart, as she realized they where driving towards the church, back to him.

"We're heading back to the church, are you crazy?" Mandi Shook her head with confidence, then quoted one of her favorite movies, The Lord Of The Rings.

"The closer we are to danger, the farther we are from harm."

"Care to explain Jammes?" Katie asked, not comprehending her friends thought.

"Were would you go to hid from him?"

"As far away as I could."

"Exactly." A witty smile crept across her face, "Tarek knows you, he knows how you think, He won't expect us to find shelter so close to him." Katie sat for a moment, contemplating her friends plan.

"This might work! How could you have come up with a plan like this? You normally would run too."

"I watch too many movie." As she spoke, she turned the car into a small, empty driveway. She got out of the car briefly, to open the garage door.

"Excellent" Mandi whispered to herself as she returned to the car, and parked it in the shadows of the small building. She closed the door behind her, trapping Katie and herself in the comforting darkness.

"Hopefully this will all work. This is my cousin's house. If I'm not mistaken, her parents are both out of town, so we won't have to worry about them interfering. It's just her sister we might have to worry about." Katie nodded to show she understood, while Mandi lead her outside through the small side door, and rang the door bell. Within seconds a short, dark haired girl, no older than Katie, stood just on the other side of the thin door.

"Mandi!" She exclaimed, while practically dragging the two inside.

"What are you doing here?"

"Hey Robin." They embraced gingerly.

"We need your help." Mandi once again looked around fearfully, something she now did instinctively.

"Is Amanda home?" She referenced to Robin's sister. Robin just shook her head.

"No, Sis is staying with her friend this week, while Mom is visiting Dad."

"Good, can we talk?" Slightly confused at the two girls' grim looks, she agreed, and went to lead them to the parlour, but mandi grabbed her arm to stop her.

"No, the basement? I don't want anyone to know we're here." She nodded, then ushered them down the stairs to the large finished room. In Katie's eyes, the room looked more like an apartment than a basement, nothing like _his _home. In the center of the large room a few matching seats sat huddled around a large coffee table. A large wet bar sat to the left of the seats, while a pull-out bed sat behind them. Even a small section that once was used for Ballet practice was included in the multi purpose room, which included a large, full-wall mirror.

Mandi and Katie took a seat on the large couch, while Robin sat across from them in an oversized armchair.

"What's wrong?" Robin asked, concerned for her kin's well being. Mandi and Katie took turns retelling the story, leaving out not a single detail. When they finished, Robin sat back in the chair, still absorbing what they had just told her.

"So, this Tarek, he's what... a modern Erik?"

"No!" Lotte practically screamed, making her host jump.

"Erik would never do such a thing." She whispered, staring off to the side, at the large mirror. Those familiar gold eyes she saw every night in her dreams, stared back at her with sympathy. Mandi's eyes followed her friend's gaze, also getting a glimpse of those eyes, before they faded.

"He wouldn't?" Robin gave a confused look, recalling her knowledge of the 'Opera Ghost'. "He did kill people, kidnapped Christine, and his voice..." She stopped when Katie shot up into the air furiously.

"Erik would never just kill like that! Not cold blooded murder, not without a reason! Erik had a soul! He wouldn't force Christine to... to... He wouldn't! He did have morals, they just didn't match most fools' concept! He was a gentleman!" Mandi coaxed her to calm down and and return to her seat.

"He is not Erik, but he tricked her into thinking he was." Robin nodded sympathetically.

"What are you going to do?" She asked Mandi, with concern. "Should you call the police?" Mandi sighed, and shook her weary head.

"No, you've never heard him. He could talk out of anything. He would probably get them to return Lotte to him."

"But we can't just hide forever." Katie chimed in with despair.

"He will hunt for you, he won't stop till he has you back."

_Yet while he lives,_

_he will hunt us till we're dead. _

Katie couldn't help but sing.

"That's in Lotte! Your brilliant!" Mandi threw her arms around her, and gleefully hugged her.

"Ok, do you want to connect the dots for me?" Just as she asked, the understood the thought that crossed her closest friends mind. Her face lost all it's colour.

'We...we can't do that."

"What other choice do we have?" Mandi asked. Katie hung her head, knowing her friend was right.

"But how? All he has to do is ask us to stop, you know the power of his wretched voice, look what he almost made you do!"

"Too bad non of us are deaf." Robin commented.

"Maybe we can be..." Katie spoke. The others directed there attention to her, as she explained her plan to them.


	13. Chapter 13

Alright, for those of you who don't know French, like me, and need to rely on your friend for a translation, in this case Little Lotte helped me, I figure you might like to know what certain things mean.

Je toujours regarde- I will always be watching,

je t'aime- I love you.

Bon Nuit- good night ( I hope, She didn't help me with that one. Cross fingers hopefully it's right.)

Hope that helps all you non French speaking people.

Little Lotte- that part you have been waiting for! Hope I did it justice.

Chapter 13

She laid the dieing head of her angel in her lap, as her tears fell onto his twisted, yellow flesh.

"Mon Ange, do not leave me, Do not make me a widow." Erik wrapped his arm around her, looking up into her weeping face.

"I love you Christine, I will never leave you, Mon Chere, je toujours regarde." His breath cut after he spoke those soft words.

"Erik, please, je t'aime." She pleaded, but it was to late, Erik's soul left his earthly self.

"Bon nuit, Mon Ange, my Erik." She kissed his forehead, and sobbed silently into his soft body.

Katie took a deep breath, then entered the large, empty church. After she passed through those threating doors, and began to sing.

_Wishing you_

_Somehow here again_

_Wishing you _

_Were somehow near_

_Sometimes it seemed_

_If I just dreamed_

_Somehow you would be here_

Slowly she walked between the pews, letting her voice fill the room.

_Wishing I could here your voice again_

_Knowing that I never would_

_Dreaming of you_

_Won't help me to do_

_All that I dreamed I could_

"Katie" His voice called to her, but she concentrated on her music.

_Passing bells _

_And sculpted angels_

_Cold and monumental_

_Seem, for you_

_The wrong companions_

_You were warm and gentle_

Tarek appeared out of the shadows, and slowly approached her.

_Too many years_

_Fighting back tears_

_Why can't the past _

_Just die?_

He embraced her, cutting off he voice. He whispered her name over and over in her ear.

"You came back." He stroked her hair franticly, confirming she was truly standing before him.

"I could not let you live down here alone." She pulled away from him, looking into his eyes. She had always thought they were gold, but, looking at them now, she stared at a pair of hazel eyes.

"I thought you left me." He whimpered out, looking over his prize.

"I did." She took a step back. "But even Christine left her Erik, but this is different." She paused.

"Christine Didn't go back to her angel." He finished for her, but she shook her head.

"No, Christine returned to him, she loved him, more than she every truly knew. I on the other hand, never had an angel." Just as she spoke, a familiar shape slipped behind Tarek, wrapping a thick, course rope around his neck.

"I'm here, I'm here monsieur, the angel of death!" The figure whispered in his ear, revealing it's true identity, Mandi. She pulled on the rope harder, choking him.

"Katie!" He gasped out. "Help me." His voice croaked from the pressure. A wicked smile crept across her face.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Mandi loosened the rope slightly, to let his speak to her.

"Please Katie, I love you, I need you, Lotte, Help me." Despite the lack of pressure, his voice still carried the frightened cracking quality.

"Wait Jammes." Katie raised her hand, as Mandi loosened the rope even more, giving Tarek hope his Katie would save him.

"Thank you." Relief flooded his body.

"Why should I let Jammes have all the fun?" She asked rhetorically.

"Oh, pardon me, you should do the honours." Mandi spoke, as she handed Katie a long steak knife, still holding the rope against his flesh.

"Thank you." She examined the blade.

"Do you know what damage this could do, Oh, lets say to one's neck?" She let the blade dance across his neck, leaving a slash similar to the one on Mandi's neck.

"Why?" He choked out, not comprehending her actions.

"Why? Why? You really have to ask?" She spat him.

"Trying to kill my closest friend for starters!" She slashed the knife across his cheek, making him yelp in pain.

"How could you possibly think I wouldn't care? I love Jammes! She's like a sister to me!" The knife made contact with his other cheek.

"And what about Father Sean? Did he deserve to die too?"

"It was all for you! I did it for you!" He pleaded

"No!" She screamed. "You did it for yourself! I would die without her! You just wanted me all for yourself! You don't care one bit about me!" She drove the knife into his chest with such aggression she had never in her life thought she could possess. Something pulsed through her veins, something ecstatic, something that filled her with pleasure, she enjoyed killing him, making him pay for all his sins.

"I see why Erik enjoyed his hunting..." She whispered to herself.

Mandi released the rope, letting him fall to the floor, and joined Katie's side.

"You were happy with me! You could have had your happily ever after." He gripped his chest, trying to stop the pulsing blood from spilling out of his fatal wound.

"Happiness? Is this what it feels like, this surge of warmth and physical euphoria? Oh Christine, if there were a loving god in heaven, it would be my arm you take now, my shoulder upon which you lean in your utter exhaustion...Beneath the mask my face is wet with tears. Happiness is like the fist blissful intoxication of Morphine. It doesn't last very long." She quoted as his life slipped from him.

Katie stood there, over his body, soaking up what she had just done. Murder. She committed murder.

"Lotte, are you going to be alright?" Mandi wrapped her arm around her friend, noticing the look of guilt on her face.

"No." She sank to her knees and began to sob. Mandi joined her, and tried to comfort her.

"I killed. I took another life, Jammes."

"Shhhh..." She began to stroke her hair tenderly.

"You did what you had to do. He deserved to be sent to hell."

"But..."

"listen to me Lotte, of once don't argue with me. You had to kill him. It's that simple."

"But, what if Erik..." She could finish.

"What if Erik? He would be proud of you, thats what. You did the right thing! And you seem to forget He committed murder too."

"But, how can I live with myself?" She looked up at Mandi, who wiped her tears away.

"Just ask yourself, What would Erik do?" Katie nodded, then leaned her head against her shoulder.

"Why are you always right?" She asked, her tears finally stopping.

"I'm not, but with this, I am." She gave her friend another hug. "We should get out of here, Robin is probably pulling out her hair in anxiety waiting for us to return." Katie nodded.

As the two of the turned went to leave, a cold chill shot down Their backs, that caused them to turn around. For a brief moment, their eyes saw a shadowy figure behind them, with glistening golden eyes, watching over them from next to the organ, before it faded into nothing.


	14. Epilogue

Thank you all for reading, but alas, the journey has come to an end. Hopefully you will enjoy the ending as much as I do.

One little side note: I messed up earlier in the Fanfic. Bad Mandi! slaps hand anyway,Katie's eyes are NOT brown. I don't know how I messed that up, but they are blue. Sorry Little Lotte, I really don't know how I did that.

Thanks once again to Little Lotte for being my muse. Love You!

_It's over now the music of the night!_

Sorry, I just had to say it.

Epilogue

Katie and Mandi returned to their normal lives, well, as normal as one can get after such trama. They never told another soul about what happened at that church, besides Robin. The three of them swore to take Tarek's memory to the grave, never letting his controlling grasp influence any other innocent children. Katie had been a mere child when he came into her life, something he stole for her. She could never reclaim the simple ignorant innocence she possessed before, but at least she wasn't alone. She always had something there to comfort her, her dreams of Erik.

They never stopped after Tarek's death, but then again, they had always been there. Since the day she saw that shadowy figure at the church, she felt like something was watching her, Like a guardian angel. It had always been there, but she had never noticed it till then. Once in a while, she would glance into a mirror, and see those eyes watching her, protecting her. They seemed to appear when she needed them the most, and were always there to comfort her.

After she graduated high school, Katie distanced herself from his memory, by moving to New York City, to attend a preforming arts school. Not wanting to be parted from her dear friend, she talked Mandi into transferring to an art institution, just blocks away from her own school. It was Mandi's gentle shove that gave Katie the confidence to audition for the role she was born to play, Christine.

Katie burst into her dressing room, panting heavily. She leaned over her vanity, clutching to the sides, her knuckles turning a brilliant white from the pressure. She tried to stabilize her breathing, keeping herself from fainting.

"Now I know why Christine fainted at the Gala." She told herself, as she looked at herself in the mirror,

A familiar stranger looked back at her. The chestnut brown curls, Brilliant sea foam blue eyes, rouge cheeks all belonged to her, but didn't. Something about her reflexion was different tonight. It wasn't the make up, or stage costume, but something else, something deep in her soul screaming to get out.

The thought always loomed in the back of her mind, but she never believed it true. Despite the dreams, and Mandi's whole hearted belief it was true, she never could except it, but now, looking at this women in the mirror, she couldn't deny it any longer, she knew it was true.

"I am Christine." She spoke to herself. The world around her seemed to dissolve into darkness, The massive amount of costumes, the roses Mandi had given her,The Phantom Memorabilia, the vanity she so desperately clung to, all gone into shadows.

"Come to me angel of music." His voice surrounded her, flooding her body with joyful passion. It was her angel, he wanted her, ans she wanted to go to him. Every fiber of her being wanted him desperately, like a flower longs for the sun to rise.

"Come to me angel of music." He seemed to materialize right out of the shadows, His neat black suit, his slick dark hair, Black silk mask, and brilliant golden eyes.

"Erik." She whispered tenderly, approaching him.

"Mon Ange." He softly touched her cheek, it felt more like a feather brushing against her flesh and a man's touch.

"I have waited forever to here you say that." She pulled away from him, fright filled her mind, the memory of Tarek still haunting her. How could she know he was truly Erik, Not just some imposter? Her mind raced.

"Mon chere." He knew what she was thinking.

"You have nothing to fear, I would never hurt you, you know that. You are my love, My angel." She allowed him to approach her, taking her small figure into his strong arms.

"I promised I would always be watching, I would always be your guardian angel."

"But, why? Why didn't you get a new life Erik?" The words came from her mouth, in her voice, but it wasn't Katie who spoke them.

"You gave me heaven, you saved me, how could any new life compare to the perfect one you gave me?" She buried her head in his chest, clinging to the ruffles of his white shirt.

"But Erik, you left me all alone! Who could I love in this world? With you not here?"

"Your heart never belonged to just me, but mine is to you. Thats why I chose this, to always be with you, and give you the chance you deserve with others, you can have any one you want."

"But I want you Erik." She began to cry, wetting his shirt with her fiery tears. He lifted her chin up with his hand, bring her face to his.

"You have me, forever." His lips softly brushed against hers, as the the shadow lifted around her, returning her back to her dressing room.

"Erik" she whispered with defeat, looking into the mirror, at his eyes.

"Lotte?" Mandi's familiar voice called outside the door, before she entered.

"Jammes." She tried to hide her flushed face, but it was no use, Mandi saw right through her act.

"What's wrong Lotte?"

"Nothings wrong, just finally realizing who I am." She looked back at his eyes, as they faded away.


End file.
